Wednesday, March 30, 2016

A Doubter's Almanac by Ethan Canin

Who would think that an almost-600-page novel about a
maladjusted mathematician could be so compelling that it could make a reader
ignore one of spring’s first sunny days? Ethan Canin’s A Doubter’s Almanac is the singular novel that can do just that. Milo
Andret, (rhymes with bandit – and yes, I think that’s a clue to a flaw in his
character) is a mathematical genius and one of the most annoying men you’ll
ever meet between two covers. A Doubter’s
Almanac traces Milo’s life and that of his family from his childhood in the
woods of northeastern Michigan through his recognition as one of the world’s
greatest mathematicians to the torment and obsessions that lead to his fall. The
first two hundred pages of the book are a third person narration of Milo’s early
life. The reader learns of Milo’s genius, his sexual relationships, his lack of
connection with any of his colleagues, and his excessive drinking. The second
part of the book is narrated in the first person by Milo’s son Hans thus providing
fresh insight into Milo’s wife Helena, their children, and Milo’s self-destruction.

Milo is as my husband might say “a piece of work” yet he
attracts a cast of engaging characters as if he were a giant magnet and they
were mere metal filings. Canin’s skill with words entices the reader in much
the same manner. A scene narrated by Milo’s son, Hans, depicting a family
picnic near their southern Ohio home illustrates Canin’s ability to mesmerize
with word pictures as he presents insight into his characters.

The
state park was where my mother liked to walk. At a certain turn in the trail,
which looked down on a stretch of whitewater that foamed and leaped over
refrigerator-sized boulders, she would set down our picnic blanket. The spot
was only a short distance from the parking lot, but its topography was as wild
and wooded as anything you might find in a state a thousand miles to the west.
The roiling water, fifteen feet below the path, was thrilling. To me as a boy –
although of course I understood the volumetric dynamics of why it had sped up –
it was frightening as well: a frothing cauldronic reminder of what our familiar
river could become.My mother sometimes
shushed us as we ate so that we could listen to the roar.You could discern the whole orchestra in it,
from upright bass to triangle.

Even illustrations of biological functions transform into
tour-de-force portraits as they spill from Canin’s pen:

My
father peed like a horse. His urine flowed in one great sweeping stream that
started suddenly and stopped just as suddenly, a single, winking arc of
shimmering clarity that endured for a prodigious interval and then disappeared
in an instant, as though the outflow were a solid object, an arch of glittering
ice or a thick band of silver – and not (as it actually approximated) a
parabolic, dynamically averaged graph of the intersecting functions of gravity,
air resistance, and initial velocity on a nonviscous fluid, produced and
exhibited by a man who’d just consumed more than a gallon of midwestern beer. .
. When it struck the edge of the gravel shoulder, the sound was like a bedsheet
being ripped. Beneath this high reverberation, he let out a protracted whistle
that culminated in a tuneless gasp, his lips flapping at the close like a
trumpeter’s. . . From my vantage point
he appeared entirely unashamed. . . .My father moved up close to peer through
the windshield, zipping his trousers and smiling through the glass at my
mother. . .

‘Thank
goodness,’ my mother said when the car door closed again. ‘I was getting a
little bored in here.’ In those days, this was her version of malice.

Dazzling word pictures aside, A Doubter’s Almanac is at its core, a story, a story that bends and
twists its way into the reader as it tells of the burdens of genius and of the narrow
precipice that stands between brilliance and insanity. It’s also a story about
escape, escape into substance abuse and into the acceptance of a different set
of standards for a legendary mind. Additionally, it’s a story about the sins of
the father and the ability of one generation to diminish the achievements of
the next.

The book’s distinctive chapter titles like “Occam’s
Razor,” “Another Roof, Another Proof,” “A Topologist’s Apology,” “4656534,” and
“Theodicy” and the clues embedded within those chapters help A Doubter’s Almanac soar above the humdrum.
Canin’s adroit use of language slows the reader down just enough to force
consideration of the reasons behind the characters’ actions while not impeding
the swift current of the story. This is a book you want to devour quickly, but
Canin places bumper strips along the road that force you to realize that every
single word he writes implies something you need to ponder and perhaps even
doubt.

The novel derives its title from a Descartes quote: “If
you would be a real seeker after truth, you must at least once in your life
doubt, as far as possible, all things.” Canin places the quote at the end of
the book, with a blank page separating it from the novel’s end. It sits there
alone on the page where it begs readers to fully consider whether true genius
is simply the ability to doubt even one’s greatest accomplishments.

Summing
it Up: Read A Doubter’s Almanac to
enter the life of a brilliant mathematician and to consider whether genius is a
curse or a blessing. Fans of Richard Russo and Jane Smiley will applaud Canin’s
acrobatic artistry with words, characters, and ideas. If this algebra-detesting reader could be completely entranced, you'll love it too.

About Me - Trina Hayes

Connecting people with books they'll love is what I do. I lead three book clubs and participate in another. I speak about books to library, university, social and civic groups and I'd love to speak to your gathering. My annual book list of the more than 100 books I read and review every year comes out every November. Find past lists on the pages listed below. Because I'm always hungry for good books, I categorize the books on the lists and on my posts by food groups as explained in the review categories listed below.

Contact me with questions or about hiring me to speak at trinabookhungry@gmail.com or by posting a comment on one of my reviews.